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Table of Contents (22 articles)
HAZMAT ALERT AS PETROL TANKER ROLLS OVER BANK, SPILLS 'LARGE VOLUMES' OF FUEL ONTO SH2 IN TARARUA
Tags: New_Zealand, transportation, release, response, gasoline
PRESCOTT FIRE FINDS HIGH LEVELS OF CARBON MONOXIDE IN LOCAL HOME
Tags: us_AZ, public, release, response, carbon_monoxide
NINE WAYNE RESPONDERS DECONTAMINATED AFTER EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, release, injury, plastics
UPDATE: INVESTIGATION CONTINUES IN NATURAL GAS LEAK IN ASCENSION
Tags: us_LA, transportation, fire, response, natural_gas
SEVEN NEW SUBSTANCES ADDED TO THE CANDIDATE LIST, ENTRY FOR BISPHENOL-A UPDATED
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental
SMOKING TRASH BAGS LEAD TO METH LAB IN MEMPHIS
Tags: us_TN, public, fire, response, drugs
MOM, DAUGHTER ARRESTED IN METH LAB EXPLOSION AT ARLINGTON APARTMENT
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, clandestine_lab
TWO MORE BODIES RETRIEVED FROM IRANIAN SHIP AFLAME IN EAST CHINA SEA
Tags: Chile, transportation, follow-up, response, oils
CALL FOR BAN ON FOOD PACKAGING CHEMICAL
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental
WEST OSO STUDENTS PREPPING FOR INDUSTRY CAREERS GET A HAND WITH
Tags: us_TX, education, discovery, environmental
TWO CLOVIS UNIFIED SCHOOLS CLOSED AFTER STUDENT BRINGS MERCURY TO
Tags: us_CA, education, discovery, response, mercury
MEPS BACK DOWN FROM EU BISPHENOL BAN " EURACTIV.COM
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, plastics
COMPANIES SET TO MISS EU ACRYLAMIDE TARGETS " EURACTIV.COM
Tags: Belgium, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COULD CONTAIN HARMFUL CHEMICALS
Tags: public, discovery, response, toxics
TRIAL OF WEST EXPLOSION SUITS POSTPONED AFTER SOME ISSUES SETTLED
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, death, ag_chems
INCIDENTS REPORTED AT 3 CHEMICAL VALLEY SITES
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, benzene
20 FAMILIES EVACUATED FROM HOMES AFTER GAS MAIN BURSTS
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, natural_gas
SANTA FE BOOM CAME FROM LOS ALAMOS LAB
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, explosion, response, explosives
FIRE BREAKS OUT AT SCRAP METAL FACTORY
Tags: us_IL, industrial, fire, response, metals, waste
OFFICIAL: TRUCK WAS CARRYING 5 DIFFERENT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Tags: us_IN, transportation, fire, injury, acids, pesticides, pool_chemicals
ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP APPEALS EPA"S DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORK
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
IRANIAN OIL TANKER BURNS AFTER COLLISION OFF CHINA COAST
Tags: China, transportation, explosion, response, petroleum
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HAZMAT ALERT AS PETROL TANKER ROLLS OVER BANK, SPILLS 'LARGE VOLUMES' OF FUEL ONTO SH2 IN TARARUA
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11975598
Tags: New_Zealand, transportation, release, response, gasoline
A petrol tanker has rolled over a bank on State Highway 2 in the Tararua district and is leaking large volumes of fuel over the road.
Fire crews were called to the scene around 6.40pm upon receiving reports the vehicle had struck a bank and rolled on State Highway 2.
Police also rushed to the scene near Anzac Park, around 3km north of Norsewood, around 7pm.
A spokeswoman said the driver wasn't suffering any major injuries.
Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman Mike Wanoa said it appeared there were large volumes of petrol leaking from the vehicle.
"We've got crews from Norsewood, Dannevirke and Hastings attending, with water tankers and the Hazmat unit."
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PRESCOTT FIRE FINDS HIGH LEVELS OF CARBON MONOXIDE IN LOCAL HOME
https://www.dcourier.com/news/2018/jan/14/prescott-fire-finds-high-levels-carbon-monoxide-lo/
Tags: us_AZ, public, release, response, carbon_monoxide
Feeling dizzy and nauseous, a Prescott woman decided to call the Prescott Fire Department Saturday morning, Jan. 13, to see if they could check her home for any sort of noxious chemical leaks.
Sure enough, after some testing, firemen found the home, located on the 1700 block of Oaklawn Drive, had above recommended levels of carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless byproduct of combustion.
"We were able to isolate it to an old furnace that we shut off," said Prescott Fire Battalion Chief Ralph Lucas. "When you have old utility equipment, like old furnaces or old water heaters, they can sometimes break and release CO into your home."
To reduce her exposure, the Prescott woman made arrangements to stay with her daughter until a repair man could come and fix the furnace, Lucas said.
Earlier this month, four people " a married couple and their two children " are believed to have died in a northern Arizona cabin near Flagstaff because of excessive carbon monoxide exposure (http://bit.ly/2EENWwM">http://bit.ly/2EENWwM).
"That"s why it"s so important to have CO monitors in your home," Lucas said.
Such monitors can be purchased for under $50 at many department or hardware stores
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NINE WAYNE RESPONDERS DECONTAMINATED AFTER EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL
http://cresskill.dailyvoice.com/police-fire/nine-wayne-responders-decontaminated-after-exposure-to-hazardous-chemical/731158/
Tags: us_NJ, industrial, release, injury, plastics
WAYNE, N.J. -- Six Wayne firefighters, two EMTs, a police officer and a factory employee were hospitalized before dawn Sunday after they were exposed to a chemical used to make Teflon.
Police Officer Corey Deak was among the responders to the 5:40 a.m. smoke-condition call at Saint Gobain Performance Plastics Corporation on Dey Road, Detective Capt. Lawrence Martin said.
Deak, an employee and the other responders were exposed to the chemical Polutetrafluroethylene (PTFE) and were taken to Chilton Memorial Hospital for decontamintation, Martin said.
All were released "and advised to be monitored for at least 48 hours for adverse reactions that may occur," the captain said.
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UPDATE: INVESTIGATION CONTINUES IN NATURAL GAS LEAK IN ASCENSION
http://www.katc.com/story/37263433/flames-erupt-at-natural-gas-tank-in-ascension-parish
Tags: us_LA, transportation, fire, response, natural_gas
An investigation into a natural gas leak, causing a fire along Hwy. 75 near the International-Matex Tank Terminals facility in Geismar today, is ongoing, The Advocate reports.
A board operator at tank facility says the fire started shortly after 1 p.m.
No one was injured, and no chemicals were released, according to a spokesman with the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office.
Rick Webre, director of homeland security and emergency preparedness for the parish, said natural gas leaked from an industrial pipeline that transports products to the chemical storage facility, the Baton Rouge media outlet reports. The natural gas then ignited into flames.
Webre believes the leak resulted from a rupture to the pipeline, but officials are still investigating the exact cause.
The supply to the pipeline had been turned off, and the fire was contained by 2 p.m.
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SEVEN NEW SUBSTANCES ADDED TO THE CANDIDATE LIST, ENTRY FOR BISPHENOL-A UPDATED
http://elm-links.echa.europa.eu/m/2a01c7c1be9c489da07d200a754a2b53/A5705FD0/1418C0E3/012018n
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental
The Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) for authorisation now contains 181 substances.
Helsinki, 15 January 2018 - ECHA has added seven new substances of very high concern (SVHC) to the Candidate List and updated the entry for bisphenol A (BPA) following the SVHC identification process with the involvement of the Member State Committee (MSC).
The BPA entry was updated to reflect an additional reason for inclusion due to its endocrine disrupting properties causing adverse effects to the environment.
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SMOKING TRASH BAGS LEAD TO METH LAB IN MEMPHIS
http://www.voicenews.com/news/smoking-trash-bags-lead-to-meth-lab-in-memphis/article_97e20dca-f885-11e7-912a-13cad5d97144.html
Tags: us_TN, public, fire, response, drugs
A pair of smoking trash bags retrieved at the curb of a home on Main Street in Memphis led to the discovery of a meth lab and the arrest of two women Thursday afternoon.
Memphis Police Chief Dan Kolke said he was on routine patrol at noon Thursday when he was flagged down by a pair of employees from Emterra Environmental USA, the city"s trash hauler.
The Emterra employee told Kolke he had just picked up two smoking bags of garbage from a home on Main Street.
"He said he put the bags on the tail board of the truck because they couldn"t be placed inside the vehicle in case of a fire," Kolke said.
Looking inside of the bags, the chief found two 20-ounce plastic pop containers filled with a white substance.
Kolke went to the residence where the garbage collector said he picked up the bags. A woman who answered the door said she did not live at the residence and was just putting out the trash for the man who did.
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MOM, DAUGHTER ARRESTED IN METH LAB EXPLOSION AT ARLINGTON APARTMENT
https://arlingtonvoice.com/arlington/crime-emergency/2018/01/13/mom-daughter-arrested-meth-lab-explosion-arlington-apartment
Tags: us_TX, public, explosion, response, clandestine_lab
A mother and daughter duo are in custody after a meth lab explosion rocked an Arlington apartment complex near AT&T Stadium late Friday night.
Police seized over 21 pounds of methamphetamine from an apartment unit in the Plantation Apartments located in the 700 block of East Randol Mill Road, which is just west of the stadium.
While no injuries were reported in the explosion " which occurred around 11:09 p.m. -- responding officers did find a drug lab inside the suspect location.
Nancy Cruz-Rodriguez, 39, and Odalys Corrales, 18, were arrested and charged with several offenses. Police confirmed for the Arlington Voice that the two are related as mother and daughter.
---------------------------------------------
TWO MORE BODIES RETRIEVED FROM IRANIAN SHIP AFLAME IN EAST CHINA SEA
https://america.cgtn.com/2018/01/13/two-more-bodies-retrieved-from-iranian-ship-aflame-in-east-china-sea
Tags: Chile, transportation, follow-up, response, oils
Salvage workers have managed to board the Iranian oil tanker still burning a week after it collided with a Chinese freighter in the East China Sea. A team of Iranian commandos is joining the operation aboard the Sanchi. CGTN"s Wei Lynn Tang reports.
Two more bodies were found on board the Sanchi oil tanker Saturday morning, bringing the current body count to three.
There were 32 sailors on board the Iranian managed vessel before the collision occurred. 30 from Iran and 2 from Bangladesh. The ship"s data recorder, similar to a plane"s "black box," was also retrieved.
"The condensate oil is still burning, and the emitted gas is surely harmful," said Vice Manager of Cosmo Shipping Xue Zhou.
"But due to wind directions and the cold air, coastal areas in our country will not be very much affected. In addition, from my perspective, oil burning is less polluting than an oil spill. In general, the rescue measures that we have taken so far are effective. It"s very much likely that the explosion will be controlled."
---------------------------------------------
CALL FOR BAN ON FOOD PACKAGING CHEMICAL
https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20180113/local/call-for-ban-on-food-packaging-chemical.667828
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental
European parliamentarians" decision to lower a chemical found in food packaging is a step towards the banning of this potentially hazardous material, according to MEP Miriam Dalli.
But for health groups, this week"s approval by MEPS to further limit, and not ban Bisphenol-A (BPA) in food packaging was a failure to protect citizens" health and benefitted the chemicals industry.
On the day, the European Commission"s proposal to limit BPA in varnishes and coatings intended to come into contact with food was given the green light by the European Parliament Environment Committee, which rejected a motion for objection by cross-party members.
When contacted, Maltese committee member Miriam Dalli said that the Socialists and Democrats were concerned about the dangerous effects that BPA could have due to its endocrine disrupting abilities and they were working for a total ban.
"The committee"s vote lowers by a tenth the currently allowed BPA migration from packaging to food, and does not allow it in products that come into contact with baby food. The issue of total ban was not on the table today," she told this newspaper.
---------------------------------------------
WEST OSO STUDENTS PREPPING FOR INDUSTRY CAREERS GET A HAND WITH
http://www.kristv.com/story/37258148/west-oso-students-prepping-for-industry-careers-get-a-hand-with-safety
Tags: us_TX, education, discovery, environmental
Students at West Oso High School received a big donation today to help them out in the classroom and it's all about safety.
LyondellBasell's Corpus Christi complex donated safety equipment to West Oso's Early College High School, including hard hats, gloves, safety goggles and other safety tools.
Now in the hands of students, those tools will be used to teach process operating procedures and safety. For anyone entering industrial, scientific, or chemical fields, safety equipment is not an option, it's a requirement. That includes the folks over at LyondellBasell, who hope the safe practices learned in school will carry over for those that choose to pursue local industrial careers.
"For us, it's a win-win situation," explained Peggy Felchak, human resource manager with LyondellBasell. "Not only are we able to give back, but then there is the potential that there will be employment opportunities that we hopefully will be able to provide for the local area."
The new process technology program that the donations are on the way to prepares juniors, and seniors for careers in the refining and manufacturing industries, both of which are on the rise in the Coastal Bend.
---------------------------------------------
TWO CLOVIS UNIFIED SCHOOLS CLOSED AFTER STUDENT BRINGS MERCURY TO
http://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/two-clovis-unified-schools-closed-after-student-brings-mercury-to-school/912709663
Tags: us_CA, education, discovery, response, mercury
CLOVIS, Calif. - Two schools in Clovis shut down Friday after a student brought mercury onto Reyburn Intermediate School's campus. Both campuses of Reyburn and Clovis East High School, which share the same block, are being cleaned and inspected by hazmat teams. They are scheduled to reopen on Tuesday after the MLK holiday.
Clovis Unified School District said all students are okay and a precautionary cleanup is underway.
"I came and then there were no cars in the parking lot. I just walked to school and there was nobody there," said Reyburn Intermediate Student Kyosqke.
The District said a Reyburn student brought mercury to school and shared it with friends on Thursday.
"I am shocked that school is closed because of that," said Kyosqke.
"That's terrible. Oh my goodness what were their intentions?," Reyburn Intermediate and Clovis East Parent Teresa Marshall.
Kelly Avants with Clovis Unified School District said the student was playing with the mercury after finding it in a rural area.
"Very fortunately we don't have anyone who is reporting adverse symptoms but we recognizing it does have risk. The issue today is just the clean up to make sure there is no residue of this on our campus," she said.
---------------------------------------------
MEPS BACK DOWN FROM EU BISPHENOL BAN " EURACTIV.COM
https://www.euractiv.com/section/endocrine-disruptors/news/meps-back-down-from-eu-bisphenol-ban/
Tags: Europe, public, discovery, environmental, plastics
The European Parliament has shied away from demanding a full ban on bisphenol A, instead approving measures that will lower the amount of the chemical that can be part of food packaging.
On Wednesday (11 January), MEPs on the Environment, Food and Public Health committee defeated a cross-party proposal by four deputies, which argued that "only a full ban can provide certainty for both consumers and industry", by 42 votes to 17.
It added that the Commission should "urgently assess whether BPA is present in other FCM [food contact materials], and if so, to put measures in place to also ban these uses".
Instead, the committee endorsed a European Commission proposal which lowers the Specific Migration Limit (SML), applicable to plastics, coatings, and varnishes for metals and other food contact sources of BPA, from 0.06 mg/kg to 0.05 mg/kg.
It also imposes a ban on bisphenol in plastic bottles and packaging containing food for babies and children under three years old.
---------------------------------------------
COMPANIES SET TO MISS EU ACRYLAMIDE TARGETS " EURACTIV.COM
https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/companies-set-to-miss-eu-acrylamide-targets/
Tags: Belgium, public, discovery, environmental, other_chemical
Food manufacturers risk falling well short of meeting new EU rules aimed at limiting levels of cancer-causing acrylamide, according to a series of new tests released on Thursday (11 January).
Acrylamide should account for no more than 750 microgrammes per kilogram under a new regulation adopted last September by government ministers and the European Parliament. However, presence of the chemical was well above the limit in seven out of the 18 samples of crisps sold in Italy subjected to laboratory tests by consumer magazine il Salvagente.
The regulation, which comes into force on 11 April, was supported by both the food industry and consumer groups.
For his part, Belgium"s farm minister Willy Borsus expressed relief that the regulation had spared the nation"s "friteries" and one of its favourite dishes from having to change traditional preparation methods.
---------------------------------------------
COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEMS COULD CONTAIN HARMFUL CHEMICALS
https://www.legalreader.com/common-household-items-contain-harmful-chemicals/
Tags: public, discovery, response, toxics
A growing number of scientists, parents and pet owners, advocates, and public officials are becoming more and more concerned about common household chemicals that can prove to be highly toxic. Their research is geared toward eliminating toxins from homes rather than continuing to allow manufacturers to simply swap out one harmful ingredient for another once the original is banned, which has long been an industry standard.
As an example, in recent history, parents became especially concerned about a popular chemical, bisphenol A, also known as BPA. Once knowledge of its harmful properties became public, the chemical was widely replaced with a close cousin, bisphenol S. This means, baby bottles, utensils, and pacifiers labeled BPA-free could be just as dangerous as they were with BPA present, and recent research has shown this is the case.
And then there are the flame retardants in furniture called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, that have been proven toxic. When scientists deemed those toxic, the industry switched to Tris, the same chemical prohibited in children"s pajamas. Tris, PBDEs and related fire retardants belong to a class called organohalogens. Just this past September, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted to take steps to ban the entire group after scientists testified before the commission to the breadth of evidence linking organohalogens to brain damage, immune disorders, reproductive issues, and even cancer. Dr. Courtney Carignan, who was involved in a study linking one such related group of flame retardants to reproductive issues specifically concluded, "These findings suggest that exposure to PFRs may be one of many risk factors for lower reproductive success."
Image Courtesy of Azul Aziz
In a separate vote, the CPSC banned five types of phthalates from childcare toys and other products. The chemicals were present in common play items such as rubber ducks. Research has shown they can inhibit hormone production and negatively affect the male reproductive system.
---------------------------------------------
TRIAL OF WEST EXPLOSION SUITS POSTPONED AFTER SOME ISSUES SETTLED
http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Trial-of-West-explosion-suits-canceled-after-some-issues-settled-468998283.html
Tags: us_TX, public, follow-up, death, ag_chems
WEST, Texas (KWTX) A trial set in 170th District Court next week involving lawsuits over the West fertilizer explosion has been canceled after several issues in the case were settled.
Waco attorney Steve Harrison, who has spearheaded the group of lawyers involved in the more than 200 lawsuits filed over the April 17, 2013 catastrophe that left 15 dead and scores injured, said several issues that would have been decided in trial were worked out, forcing the judge to re-set the trial date after it"s determined which plaintiffs and which defendants would be involved.
"Some plaintiffs have settled with some defendants in the trial group and those settlements have forced the judge to re-set trial," Harrison said.
Harrison said Judge Jim Meyer will re-set the lawsuit for April, sometime within 90 days.
Harrison said his clients, the City of West and West Resthaven Nursing Home, arrived at partial settlements, but still have active unsettled issues to present in trial.
The settlements also involved several individuals, Harrison said.
---------------------------------------------
INCIDENTS REPORTED AT 3 CHEMICAL VALLEY SITES
http://www.theobserver.ca/2018/01/12/sirens-sound-at-imperial-oil
Tags: Canada, industrial, release, response, benzene
Weather is believed to have been a factor in a release of hydrocarbons traced to a pipeline in an industrial incident reported Friday morning at the Imperial Oil manufacturing site in Sarnia.
Sirens at the site sounded at approximately 8 a.m., the company said in a news release.
The Arlanxeo production site in Sarnia also reported an incident Friday morning, and Nova Chemicals said it is investigating a benzene release Thursday evening at its Corunna site where weather was also believed to be a factor.
Imperial Oil said its staff responded to the release involving the pipeline located on the company"s production site.
Air monitoring was initiated and Ontario"s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change notified, the company said.
"An initial analysis indicates this release and others we have had at our site recently are related to the extreme cold weather conditions," company spokesperson Kristina Zimmer said in an e-mail.
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20 FAMILIES EVACUATED FROM HOMES AFTER GAS MAIN BURSTS
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/families-evacuated-burst-gas-pipe-14143941
Tags: United_Kingdom, public, release, response, natural_gas
Families had to be evacuated from their homes after a gas main burst and ruptured.
The rupture happened when a vehicle reversed into a high pressure gas main in Thaxted Road, Wimbish at 8.20pm last night (January 12).
Firefighters from across Essex in Saffron Walden, Thaxted, Braintree and South Woodham Ferrers rushed to the scene, including a hazmat unit.
They evacuated 20 families to a local pub while urgent repairs were made and the road was shut.
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SANTA FE BOOM CAME FROM LOS ALAMOS LAB
https://www.abqjournal.com/1117974/santa-fe-boom-came-from-los-alamos-lab.html
Tags: us_NM, laboratory, explosion, response, explosives
SANTA FE " A loud explosion that shook the ground and rattled windows in the Santa Fe area about 3 p.m. Wednesday came from Los Alamos National Laboratory, which confirmed it had set off explosives about that time.
A LANL statement said it was unusual for its blasts to be heard off-site, but this one was heard all over Santa Fe " about 25 miles away as the crow flies " and as far east as Eldorado and as far south as La Cienega.
Social media exploded " figuratively, of course " after the boom, as people around the area who heard and felt the blast wondered about its source.
Social media exploded " figuratively, of course " after the boom, as people fwho heard and felt the blast wondered about its source.
"Does anyone know what"s up with the explosions/shock-waves today?" a man wrote on the Santa Fe Bulletin Board, a Facebook page where people can post announcements, get recommendations about good restaurants or ask where they can buy firewood. "I"ve felt two so far off Jaguar and (N.M.) 599 and confirmed with a friend on St. Michaels that he felt it too. Are any testing ranges close enough to do this?"
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FIRE BREAKS OUT AT SCRAP METAL FACTORY
https://patch.com/illinois/desplaines/fire-breaks-out-scrap-metal-factory
Tags: us_IL, industrial, fire, response, metals, waste
DES PLAINES, IL - The more than 50-year-old Maine Scrap Metal building in Des Plaines caught fire Wednesday night. No one was hurt, but extensive damage was done to the scrap metal processing and recycling center in the 1200 block of Rand Road, according to an ABC-7 Chicago report. Part of the building was destroyed.
Firefighters found flames coming from the roof of the factory around 11 p.m. The owner was in the building at the time, but called for help and got out safely. Most of the damage was found toward the back of the building.
The report from ABC says chemical reaction inside the building led to the fire spreading quickly.
Maine Scrap Metal has been in operation for more than 50 years.
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OFFICIAL: TRUCK WAS CARRYING 5 DIFFERENT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
http://www.tribtown.com/2018/01/12/semitrailer_fire_continued/
Tags: us_IN, transportation, fire, injury, acids, pesticides, pool_chemicals
As an orange fog began billowing from the front of a wrecked semitrailer carrying hazardous materials Wednesday on Interstate 65 south of Seymour, those involved in the cleanup knew the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
An hour after reporting that one of the southbound lanes of the interstate had reopened near the 43-mile marker, Indiana State Police Sgt. Stephen Wheeles said complications from the cleanup forced the re-closure of both lanes.
Thirty minutes later, police closed the northbound lanes until 4 p.m. as some of the five different hazardous chemicals being hauled in the trailer from Chicago to Jacksonville, Florida, caught fire. Two other semitrailers involved in the wreck already had been hauled away.
A mixture of the chemicals being hauled, including medical cleaning supplies, printer ink, weed killer, pool chemicals and other acids, is thought to be the cause of the fire, Senior Trooper Seth Davidson said. Indiana Spill Response of Anderson and Midwest Environmental Services of Brownstown were called to clean up the chemicals.
Davidson said crews discontinued unloading when the orange fog appeared.
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP APPEALS EPA"S DECISION-MAKING FRAMEWORK
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/environmental-group-appeals-epa-s-decision-making-framework
Tags: public, discovery, environmental
On January 5, 2017, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a Petition for Review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Second Circuit) of what is characterized as a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "final rule" issued November 7, 2017, entitled "New Chemicals Decision-Making Framework: Working Approach to Making Determinations under Section 5 of TSCA." The Framework Document, as it has come to be called, is the "final rule" at issue and was posted in EPA"s docket opened for comments related to its two Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) public meetings that took place in December. It is reasonable to assume that the Framework Document is not referred to by EPA as a final rule and was not published in the Federal Register as a final rule because EPA believes it is a document that outlines a conceptual approach to how EPA may go about making decisions on new chemicals. EPA specifically states the document, referred to as a !
"draft" in the Federal Register notice that announced the two public meetings, "outlines EPA"s approach to making decisions on new chemical notices submitted to EPA under TSCA section 5, as amended by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act," and includes EPA"s "general decision framework for new chemicals" and a breakdown of how EPA "intends to approach each of the five types of new-chemical determinations required under the statute."
The citizen action petition raises novel and interesting legal questions, and is quite different from the other petitions for review, one for each framework final rule, that are pending. Whether the newest legal challenge will survive procedural motions that EPA can be expected to file to dismiss the action remains to be seen.
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IRANIAN OIL TANKER BURNS AFTER COLLISION OFF CHINA COAST
https://cen.acs.org/articles/96/i3/Iranian-oil-tanker-burns-collision.html
Tags: China, transportation, explosion, response, petroleum
An Iranian tanker carrying nearly 1 million barrels of oil partially exploded and has been on fire since Jan. 6 in the East China Sea, following a collision with a cargo ship about 160 nautical miles (300 km) east of Shanghai.
"We are worried about the potential environmental impact that could be caused by leakage from the vessel," says Rashid Kang, campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia. No large-scale oil spill had been detected by C&EN"s deadline.
The tanker, a Panama-flagged vessel owned and operated by National Iranian Tanker, was ferrying approximately 150 million L of highly-flammable condensate, a type of ultra-light crude oil, to South Korea"s Hanwha Total Petrochemical.
By comparison, the Exxon Valdez was carrying 200 million L of crude oil when it spilled 41 million L into Prince William Sound off Alaska in 1989, contaminating 2,000 km of coastline.
The term condensate describes a range of light crude oils that occur primarily as a byproduct of natural gas production. They are usually composed of propane, butane, and pentane, and also have high concentrations of benzene and hydrogen sulfide.
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